VMST Part 1: Prior to 1980
At the meet in Richmond, I had an inter-esting conversation with Marie and Mike Kelleher. Mike commented that a lot of people had done a lot for our sport locally and sometimes they were not recognized. He mentioned a few people and I thought of a few also. There are a number of swimmers who never call attention to themselves, but have made major contributions, over many years, to Masters Swimming in Virginia. After that conversation, I thought about how far we have come from the 70s when Masters Swimming began. I think the time has come to record the history of VMST and recall the names of those who helped bring us to the thriving sport we have today.
I will make this a continuing saga over the next few issues of the newsletter. I hope I will inspire some of you to write to me with your memories of when you began training, when and where you swam in your first meet, who else was involved when you started. I'm interested in who was swimming in the early years, but more importantly, who helped further the sport through their work for the team or the LMSC. After we gather these personal anecdotes, maybe we can talk someone into writing up a narrative history.
I am starting with the source I know best -- me. I became aware of Masters Swimming when my family moved to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. My first meet was in May of 1974 in Raleigh. We swam Masters events between the trials and finals of the Junior Olympics. My first USMS Nationals was in Fort Lauderdale in 1975. I moved to Virginia Beach in the summer of 1976, but did not compete again until April of 1979.
When I swam in my first met after moving to Virginia, I recognized Karin Stronach of Hampton and B.J. Hansen of Wytheville. I spoke with Karin last week to try to pinpoint when she started and who else was involved at that time. Karin remembered that her first meet was in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but she does not remember what year. I suspect it was 1975 or 1976. I looked back over old results from Nationals and found that Karin swam in the 1977 Nationals in Fort Lauderdale. She said that a group was swimming at Langley, coached by Dave Dutrow. Dave also competed later in meets around here. At present, Karin is not competing, but runs, swims, does kick boxing, and body pumping (lifting weights with music). She has promised to look back through scrapbooks to refresh her memory.
I remember that some people from the Virginia Beach Y went over to Hampton on Saturdays to practice. A group from Virginia Beach and from Hampton went to a meet at the University of Delaware in November, 1978. There were team t-shirts and a team banner. It was VAM then -- Virginia Area Masters. Lou Revel, from Virginia Beach, published a 1 or 2 page newsletter.
My first meets after moving to Virginia were at Duke in April, Greensboro in July, and Fayetteville in Fayetteville (all in 1979). Somewhere out there is a team picture from the Duke meet. I drove down with Judy Martin (the first of many trips together) and remember meeting Forrest Sullivan , Alec Thomson, Bonnie and Bob Mosbrook (from Martinsville), and Raymond Snead. I also renewed my friendship with Karin and B.J. Who else was there? Who has a picture?
I have a picture from the Fayetteville meet in September of 1979. Unfortunately, I do not have the names written down. I recognize (no easy job after 20 years): Bill Ossa, Babs Carter, Mike Stott, Raymond Snead, B.J. Hansen, Karin Stronach, Forrest Sullivan, Judy Martin and Jim Thompson (I think that is his name). At that meet, I remember everyone saying "Wait until you meet Nancy. She is really good." This "Nancy" everyone was talking about is our Nancy Miller. She had been com-peting, but was not at this meet because she was recovering from an ankle injury. Nancy told me that her first meet was at Fayetteville in 1978. She broke her ankle on the way to the Duke meet in 1979. Even then, swimmers from VAM looked to Nancy as not only a fast swimmer, but as a leader. Nancy told me that Norm Ranier was swimming around this time also, but she does not know what meets he went to.
I called Mike Stott about early VMST history. Mike was the first VMST meet director for the lake swim in Charlottesville. Mike said he thinks he took over the lake swim in 1981. More on that in the next issue. Mike's first meet was YMCA Nationals at UMBC in Catonsville, Maryland, in May of 1979. I also swam in that meet. Was anyone else from VMST there?
That's what I know about VMST history up to 1980. A lot happened in 1980. Up to then, Masters Swimming was a part of USS Swimming, administered by the AAU. In 1980 USMS became independent of USS Swimming and VMST was reorganized with election of officers and the first Masters Meet was held at ODU. Stay tuned for more. But more importantly, send me what you know about Masters Swimming in your area.
